Rainbow Day's Side Stories

They did not seem quite happy about the tale I told them. Yet, for all their disapproval, none reproached me for my choices. I was grateful for it. I'm not sure what they thought would happen but I'm sure they must've had some complex feelings about it all. After all, were I them, I would be at least peeved that everything that had happened would seemingly be for nothing because my charge, who's entire romance started it all, simply decided on another.

 

Fate can be quite cruel, sometimes.

 

Still, I spoke to them of my dream. They contemplated it for a while, speaking among themselves before finally, Kunzite spoke, as the leader he was.

 

"I do not sense anything amiss within the earth itself." He reported. "It could be that you might be dreaming of a future where your child might be in danger. I suggest you pay attention to them. Whatever you sense may be after them as they're small and vulnerable."

 

"I figured, but I can't help but worry." I looked off, " Raina's been so ill lately. I just want her and our child to be well."

 

"They will be." Jadeite reassured me, " I've heard pregnancy is different for everyone that gives birth. Perhaps this is simply one of those things."

 

"Have you been supplementing her energy with yours?" Nephrite asked, " It could help. Especially since the child takes much nourishment from the mother."

 

I nodded, " I have been. Not enough to tire myself out but enough that she's been doing better."

 

"Good, just keep doing that." Kunzite said, " We'll continue to monitor the situation. We'll alert you if there's any changes."

 

"Thank you." I said with feeling, " And I'm sorry for disappointing you and not living up to your expectations."

 

"Prince, you could never disappoint us." Zoisite cracked a smile, " You are our master and friend. We are loyal to you and this world."

 

"I know you wished for me to marry the moon princess instead."

 

"Perhaps, but that is only because we believed you two to be truly happy." Nephrite answered, " We know more than most, of your struggles. If you chose not to be with her after everything, then you must have a good reason for it."

 

"I did."

 

"Then there's nothing to apologize for." Jadeite affirmed, " Go to your wife and be happy in your life, Master. That's all we ever wanted for you."

 

I closed my eyes and nodded, " Thank you. I'll speak to you soon."

 

"We shall wait til then, Prince." Kunzite and the others bowed again then vanished.

​

My fears may have been for nothing.

 

On Halloween, Raina had gone into labor. She wanted me there with her, welcoming our child to the world. I was a complete wreck. No matter how many time I had prepared myself, I hadn't really grasp anything until I was there with her. Comforting and coaching as we had been taught to do. Hopefully to relieve some of the discomfort she was in.

 

By that night, our daughter was born. Our little rainbow. Nijiko Eurycyda Chiba.

I loved her the moment we were allowed to hold her and perhaps even before then. She was a squirmy little thing that looked up at the new world and cried. I cooed to her while her mother slept, exhausted by it all. My little girl quieten down. I knew I would have to surrender her eventually to the nursing staff. It'd been difficult, but Monroe and the others convinced me that they would be safe and I needed to go home and rest.

 

I did so. The dream that had plagued me before seemed to have vanished. I wondered for a while what it meant. It worried me, but I pushed it aside. I had other things I needed to do. We needed a place of our own now. I had enough to move us into some apartments for a while. It wasn't much but it would be enough for our needs.

 

When I returned to the hospital to pick them up, Raina had a defensive look on her face as she glared at her sister. Her sister, with Deshaun on her hip, had a similar stubborn look. Markel was just in the corner sighing. He glanced at me and just shrugged. I moved over to him, noticing that Raina had Nijiko to her breast, nursing her.

 

"What is going on?" I asked quietly.

 

"Keish isn't fond of your daughter's name." He said almost amused, " Raina, obviously, doesn't give a shit."

 

I snorted. "And you've stayed out of it?"

 

"Duh. Do I look stupid to you?" He bit back a laugh, " I'm not trying to die today, my man."

 

"I just don't see why you gave her Eurycyda! That's such a weird name!" Lakeisha was saying, "I mean, Nijiko isn't as bad. At least you could wave that off but Eurycyda?"

 

"For the millionth time, Keish, Eurycyda is a perfectly fine name! It's a Greek mythological figure!" Raina growled, " If you actually picked up a book, you'd know she's the daughter of King Endymion and is the mother of Eleius! Who, I might add, literally created an entire kingdom!"

 

"Oh, instead of actual cool Greek figures, you go with someone obscure!" Lakeisha sucked on her teeth and rolled her eyes, " Inspiring, truly."

 

"It is and you know what? This is my baby and I get to name her however I want!" Raina snapped.

 

I noticed instantly the monitor's beeping gotten faster. She shouldn't work herself up.

"Wish me luck." I muttered to Markel, before heading into the fray, " Ladies, I think it's almost time for check out. So, if...uh..we could?"

 

They both zeroed in on me and I felt like a helpless deer that had been caught in the path of two very hungry wolves. After a few moments, Okaasan came in to help break it up. the Nurse came to give Nijiko another look over and get her ready to go home too.

 

I was saved, for now. While we waited in the waiting room for them to come down, I couldn't help but wonder about Raina's choice in naming our daughter. She hadn't told me beforehand what it would be, but I found it deeply amusing- or maybe odd?- that she chose the name of a girl from lore.

 

I wonder if I had had any children back then or perhaps parents with siblings? I didn't know. I never will know, truly. That part of my past life never came back. None of us remember anything but scrapes and pieces of that time before it all ended.

I wonder...had there ever been such a person back then?

​

Our lives balanced out. Somehow. We still attended school but it was a lot to balance between a child, household things, and work. It'd been hard but it was worth it. The most worrying thing, however, was that Raina seemed still weak from the pregnancy. We thought that, maybe it was normal. Some people recover slowly and some quickly. Raina had had a rough time towards the end of her pregnancy. Still, I gave her what energy I could to help boost her health along.

 

That first year, with the three of us, it was hard but it was the most rewarding time in my life. Certainly, my time- my past- in Japan in saving the world is that too, but raising this child with Raina felt like a dream I didn't want to wake up from. Raina took so many photos then. So many of us, of her family, of everything. It was as if she knew something that we didn't.

 

However, our happy times didn't last long. Six months before Nijiko would turn two, Raina's health had taken a dive. A hard one. Despite everything I had done to keep her safe and healthy, her body simply betrayed itself. The words I heard from the doctor felt as if the world had shifted.

 

Cancer.

 

My Raina- my beautiful Ina- was dying. There was nothing we could do for her except prepare. The lump that had formed in my throat stayed until our daughter had fell fast asleep in her room. She may have tried to keep a strong front, but she was scared too. We cried, together. I cursed whatever force in charge for dealing such a cruel fate to us.

 

In the quiet moments, I wondered if it was my fault on some level. Had I simply endured Usagi, would this still be something that would happen? Had defying fate and destiny's plans, I had somehow angered them and so they punish the things I love and cherish the most?

 

I know it's not true. I know, logically and magically, that such things could be changed with enough power and determination, that if it were any of those things, I could've stood a chance. But the chemical make up of humans weren't one of those things. You couldn't simply use a magic crystal and make it go away. That's not how it works. If anything, it might accelerate the abnormal growths.

 

Because it wasn't magic that was doing it. It was cells that had been mis-programmed and running amuck inside her body. Things that couldn't be fixed. Not now. Not even if I were with Usagi. Crystal Tokyo was still some years away. It wouldn't save her in time.

 

Eventually, we both withdrew from school. We relocated to be closer to Raina's- our- family. I wasn't part of their religious leanings, but I attended their services. I found only some comfort there. It had less to do with their God and more to do with the community that had wrapped itself around the family.

 

Hospice care was...It's waiting. Agonizing long hours for the inevitable end. Even though, I knew. It wasn't an end. There's a beginning after this. Even still, it was painful.

 

One night, Raina, Nijiko and I were together. Her family had gone to a service being held and allowed us some private time. I decided to take them both outside into the woods for a little fresh air. At this point, she had become accustomed to the wheelchair someone had donated.

 

Fall was coming, so the hot dog days of summer were over. Grateful as we were, the coolness was only beginning to show its presence. I'd packed along some snacks, her medication, and Nijiko's things. We found a nice spot to sit and have a picnic among the still green leaves of the trees.

 

Nijiko played among the grass, leaves, and shrubs. Not wandering off far as we sat together. I held her hand, willing her to stay. I wanted her to stay. I didn't want her to start a new star's life.

 

"Ru?" Raina's voice was weaker but still held the same vibrancy as before, " Don't...Don't follow me, ok?" She turned to look at me and smiles gently, " I know. I..Don't leave Niko alone."

 

"I would never leave her." I vowed, " I just...- Raina, there's something I have to tell you."

 

She shook her head, " I don't need to know. I know you're different."

 

My surprise looked must've been comical, because she laughed until she coughed. She drank some water to clear it up, before leaning against me, still chuckling.

 

"Don't look too surprise, Mr. Chiba." She said, still amused, " It is hard to miss you and your best friends who're all rocks talking in the middle of the night. I've caught it more than once. I figured the score there." She sighed softly, closing her eyes. "Prince? Well, I guess it's right. You've always made me feel like a princess, Ru."

 

"I've always wanted to tell you." I confessed, " I didn't mean to hide it. It's just, it was so complicated."

 

"Then why don't you tell me the story?" She wrapped her too slender arms around mine. "Tell me all about it."

 

I wasn't sure where to start, but I started talking. I told her everything. About the Silver Millennium. About my dreams and childhood. About my time as Tuxedo Mask. The Enemies I've fought along side the others. Everything.

 

By the time I was done, Nijiko had had her snack and was napping across our laps, trying to stay as close to us as possible. I figured it was time to head back. I looked over at Raina, her eyes glazed over for a moment with sleep before she blinked it away and looked up at me.

 

"You've had quite the life, Mamoru. Are you sure you're happy with how it turned out? Even..even though I'm not some magical princess with a grand destiny?"

 

"Don't be silly, of course I'm happy." I told her then kissed her softly on the lips, " I'm glad you came into my life. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I love you. I will always love you, Ina."

 

She seemingly blushed and kissed me back, " I'm glad. I'm so happy to have known you, Mamoru. You've made me the happiest person in the universe." She looks down at Nijiko and brushed her hair lightly, " And gave me such a beautiful child." Her eyes welled up, " I'm going to miss it. I'm going to miss you all so much."

 

A sob choked her. I simply held her. There was nothing more I could do. Yet, I felt spurred on to talk about starseeds. I don't know what possessed me to recall the conversation we all had after defeating Queen Nehellenia. Remembering the time in the Galaxy Cauldron. I told her of it.

 

"You'll never not be with us." I said quietly in at the end, " Someday, some where, we'll meet again."

 

She gave a watery smile at that, " It'd be nice to see how you two in the future." Sighing softly, she closed her eyes again, " Just remember, you promised to take us to Japan. I still want to see your country."

 

"I remember." I said, " I'll keep it. Don't worry. Nijiko will know both her parents' cultures."

 

"Good."

 

 

Raina died just after her birthday of that year.

​

I was a zombie in those days. Coming to life only when my daughter reached for me. I worked tirelessly to allow her to have time with her mother's family as I set up to move to Japan. I had to honor Raina's last wishes. I was met with some resistance from her family- mostly Lakeisha who wanted Raina to have a burial but Okaasan overrode it.

 

"That's his wife." She stated, " He has the right to decide what her burial was going to be."

 

"But Mama!" Lakeisha had exclaimed, " She supposed to be buried with her family, here!"

 

"She is with her family." Okaasan told her, "I don't know why you and the others are so fixated on a corpse! Raina ain't there no more! She's gone. It's just a body. Now stop being ridiculous about ordering a grieving widow how to remember his own wife!" She then turned to me and told me whatever I did would be fine. " My daughter ain't there. I have no problems with however you want to do it. Do what you want, Mamoru."

 

"She wanted...She wanted to go to my homeland." I told her quietly, " She wanted Nijiko to learn about that place too. To grow up there."

 

"Then do it, son." Monroe spoke for the first time. His voice much quieter than before, "I know my daughter and I had a lot to argue over but I knew her. She would've wanted this. You have my full support. Just remember to come back for the holidays."

 

So, I returned to Japan and found a job there. Motoki and the others had been a great help in that. I was behind in my studies and managed to re-enroll in school there to finish up. While there, I ended up bumping into Usagi again.

 

She'd changed in the time we were apart. More mature and less insecure. In fact, I had bumped into her at the Fruit Parlor that Unazuki ran now. It was in honor of Rei's birthday. The girls were having their own private party when I dropped by for something quick to eat.

 

"Oh!" Usagi blushed and I felt something pull at me, " Mamo-chan! I mean..Chiba...Mamoru.." She mumbled it a bit before hurrying on, " I thought you were still aboard?"

 

"I came back to stay." I said. I told myself it was merely harmless. A simple chat. It turned into a coffee one later as we kept running into each other.

 

Slowly, carefully, I let myself be drawn into her orbit again. The other girls were a little distant but they didn't seem to mind our friendship. Eventually, though, like clockwork, or perhaps it was simply destiny pulling our strings again, we fell back into each other.

 

I knew I couldn't let it go on too long. Not when my daughter came to live with me permanently. I had to be careful. Nijiko was still asking about her mother. She needed to be handled delicately.

 

So, I arranged it to meet Usagi somewhere neutral. A safe place where Nijiko could run off to the playground if she wanted. I would not pressure my child into something she didn't want to do. Not this.

 

Finally, they met.

 

And again, my world would change.

 

 

END

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